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50p

Ready for the Wild

3 February 2017
Hannah R, Mackenzie ‘18; Photo by Joe Krysl, Whittall '16
What should you do if your hiking partner breaks an arm when you’re a three-day walk from civilization?  Or gashes a leg on a remote kayaking trip?   Such are the questions that various students, alumni, and staff addressed during a fifty-hour Wilderness First Aid course held over the past two weekends. Led by an experienced teacher from Slipstream, a wilderness preparedness organization, the course is offered at Brentwood every three years for whomever wishes to participate. As the material is directly applicable to the situations they may find themselves in, Wilderness First Aid is especially recommended for Outdoor Pursuits students and ODP leaders Mr. Norman and Ms. Olszewski recertify each time.  A mixture of classroom time and outside scenarios, the course addressed a wide range of topics and techniques, including splints, bandages, and carries designed specifically with wilderness situations in mind. Although the main focus was trauma (cuts, breaks, and bruises) in structions for handling heart attacks and other non-traumatic issues in remote areas were also included. Gina B, Mackenzie ’17, phrased well the appreciation all participants felt for the opportunity to take the course: “Wilderness First Aid was an awesome opportunity for me to get certification for my summer job. It was also a lot of fun and helped me feel way safer going on trips in the wilderness!" There is still an exam to write before certificates may be awarded, but students Gina B, Mackenzie ’17, Hannah R, Mackenzie ’18, and Eme L, Hope ’19, staff Mr. Norman, Ms. Olszewski, Mr. Doehler, Mr. Miller, Ms. Lawrence, and Nurse Christina, and alumni Joe K, Whittall ’16 and Jacob N, Whittall ’16, participated in the intense course and look set to be Wilderness First Aid certified – or recertified, as the case may be.   Hannah R, Mackenzie ‘18 

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